Adventure snd Questing/ cooking/food seemed like a logical place to start a thread about dehydration. Both prevention and recovery. A post by @JimIslander in another thread prompted me to start this. He mentioned drinking warm salt water to combat dehydration. My brother used to swear by salt pills. Gatorade used to taste like kool aid mixed with ocean water. But too much salt can cause all kinds of issues, so what's a person to do?
One thing most would not consider is getting enough sleep. Getting plenty of sleep allows the body to perform better and if need be, recover better. Now in America many believe in liquid sleep, be it coffee, teas, or 5 hour energy drinks. The things in those helps rob the body of liquids and nutrients by a process called diuretic, which means the persons urinates out not only water but the stuff that the body needs like salt, magnesium, potasium, calcium etc. Things needed to help the body cool down when need be.
Before sports drinks and air conditioning the human species made it just fine. Sure, the life expectency was shorter but that was often due to disease or bad living as much as envirionment. In some cases dehydration played a role. Yet farmers tended to live longer than city dwellers. Part was due to less stress. But much was due to a proper diet of fruits, vegetables, protiens, fiber, and rest. Example was the 2 o'clock nap. We don't dare stop at 2 o'clock to rest, but how often do you get drowsy around 2:30? Mother nature built in a set up to cause us to take a nap after lunch.
My dad told me when he was raised on a farm in summer they started at 4:30am. They paused at 11:am for lunch and at 2:30pm for a nap and after that worked until the sun went down. They went to bed around 9:00 pm. In America now we begin much later (7:00 is early) often skip lunch and knock off earlier (5:00). We stay up to watch the 11 o'clock news.
My dad worked in a smelting factory for 42 years. I never once saw him drink a Gatorade. To stay hydrated he ate strawberry's, grapes, oranges, bananas, tomatoes, among other things, and drank mostly water. He drank one 6oz cup of percolated coffee each day with a fried egg, 2 pieces of bacon and buttered toast. Sometimes a bowl of cream of wheat was added. We had lots of various types of beans with meals, corn, peas, and pasta. Portions were moderate but nobody left the table still hungry.
My dad stayed hydrated largely through a proper diet. Now as I get older I understand why he did what he did. Growing up during a time where junk food is the norm it was very easy to not eat right. For years I stayed hydrated via beer. Gallons of the stuff every week. Either that or soda. Working construction I drank lots of water too. The older fellows ate fruit all day long and at times would drink some water but not a lot.
These days sports drinks are availble along with suppliments. Yet most contain stuff to make it taste good or add enhancements like 5 days worth of vitamin C or B12. A little dab of potassium and magnesium allows it to be called electrolite replacement but it's garbage that earns billions of dollars in an ever flourishing industry. It's kool aid for the new millenium.
There are proper suppliments out there, but the best form of hydration is proper diet, plenty of water and plenty of rest. And if that isn't enough stuff like pedialite is a huge help.
Whst's your thoughts?
One thing most would not consider is getting enough sleep. Getting plenty of sleep allows the body to perform better and if need be, recover better. Now in America many believe in liquid sleep, be it coffee, teas, or 5 hour energy drinks. The things in those helps rob the body of liquids and nutrients by a process called diuretic, which means the persons urinates out not only water but the stuff that the body needs like salt, magnesium, potasium, calcium etc. Things needed to help the body cool down when need be.
Before sports drinks and air conditioning the human species made it just fine. Sure, the life expectency was shorter but that was often due to disease or bad living as much as envirionment. In some cases dehydration played a role. Yet farmers tended to live longer than city dwellers. Part was due to less stress. But much was due to a proper diet of fruits, vegetables, protiens, fiber, and rest. Example was the 2 o'clock nap. We don't dare stop at 2 o'clock to rest, but how often do you get drowsy around 2:30? Mother nature built in a set up to cause us to take a nap after lunch.
My dad told me when he was raised on a farm in summer they started at 4:30am. They paused at 11:am for lunch and at 2:30pm for a nap and after that worked until the sun went down. They went to bed around 9:00 pm. In America now we begin much later (7:00 is early) often skip lunch and knock off earlier (5:00). We stay up to watch the 11 o'clock news.
My dad worked in a smelting factory for 42 years. I never once saw him drink a Gatorade. To stay hydrated he ate strawberry's, grapes, oranges, bananas, tomatoes, among other things, and drank mostly water. He drank one 6oz cup of percolated coffee each day with a fried egg, 2 pieces of bacon and buttered toast. Sometimes a bowl of cream of wheat was added. We had lots of various types of beans with meals, corn, peas, and pasta. Portions were moderate but nobody left the table still hungry.
My dad stayed hydrated largely through a proper diet. Now as I get older I understand why he did what he did. Growing up during a time where junk food is the norm it was very easy to not eat right. For years I stayed hydrated via beer. Gallons of the stuff every week. Either that or soda. Working construction I drank lots of water too. The older fellows ate fruit all day long and at times would drink some water but not a lot.
These days sports drinks are availble along with suppliments. Yet most contain stuff to make it taste good or add enhancements like 5 days worth of vitamin C or B12. A little dab of potassium and magnesium allows it to be called electrolite replacement but it's garbage that earns billions of dollars in an ever flourishing industry. It's kool aid for the new millenium.
There are proper suppliments out there, but the best form of hydration is proper diet, plenty of water and plenty of rest. And if that isn't enough stuff like pedialite is a huge help.
Whst's your thoughts?
You have to approach this rationally, like anything else that you want to work well. We're talking 2.5 parts per thousand of water. Saltwater barfing requires a much, much higher percentage of salt. I regularly drink a little 35 PPT ocean water when getting thrashed surfing big waves (i.e. not intentionally), and only occasionally barf a little. That's usually during a sunrise session after a night of drinking. 
